


in the booth

by orphan_account



Series: picture this [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Photographs, photo booths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-14 23:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11793483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "I thought we might take advantage of the opportunity this photo booth provides us with?" he answers, but it sounds like a question, like he's unsure if Alec would be at all interested. Alec gets why, honestly - he's never been big on taking pictures. It's not that he doesn't see the value in them, but photographs have always been such an ordeal with his family. Perfectly unwrinkled clothes, standing with a rigid posture. Smiling, but not too wide. It's exhausting, trying to mold himself into whatever someone else wants him to be for a photo.But it's never like that, with Magnus. There's no posing, there's no readjusting of their clothes. It's all very real, and Alec finds that when it's like that, he doesn't mind at all.





	in the booth

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends! Sorry it took me so long to update this series! Procrastination + school starting tends not to be conducive to fic writing. But here it is!
> 
> This takes place right before 2.07, during the date they had in Tokyo. In it, they take the photo booth pictures that we learned about in 2.19.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

 

It's getting dark out, now. Alec's starting to get a little worried - he'd managed to separate from Magnus for a few moments, cleverly claiming to need to use the restroom (which, okay, he did, but also - ), finding the perfect gift for him. The omamori had a pleasant texture against the center of Alec's palm when he held it, and he likes the red and gold for Magnus, especially. It's to symbolize luck and protection, which is perfect; everything Alec wants for his boyfriend.

 

But though he's incredibly pleased with his find, Alec is beginning to panic, because neither of them had thought to agree upon a meeting place, and he doesn't exactly treasure the idea of being lost in an unfamiliar place. 

 

He's just about to give in and text Magnus when he hears his name being shouted from a distance and through the crowd of competing voices. He turns a couple of times, looking for the source, when he sees Magnus across the street and smiles in relief. Quickly, he makes his way there, clutching the small bag Magnus' gift is in carefully, suddenly terrified he's going to lose it. He doesn't have any pockets big enough to hide it, but he figures since they've both accumulated a couple of bags from shopping around, his boyfriend won't think anything of it.

 

"Hey," Alec greets him, wanting to lean in to kiss him but also not wanting to topple over with the bags in his hand, or cause Magnus to do the same. He settles for allowing what he imagines to be a rather dopey grin spread across his face. Magnus returns a smile of his own in kind, and it's so beautiful it makes Alec's chest hurt, just a little. By the angel, he's gorgeous.

 

"Hey to you," Magnus replies, the smile still in his face. His elbow is propped against something large and rectangular, but Alec can't see what it is from where he's standing. 

 

"It's getting dark, should we head back?" 

 

Magnus pauses, like he's trying to collect his words. "Actually, I was hoping we might wait a few more minutes."

 

Alec shrugs. He's not in any rush to ever stop spending time with Magnus Bane, so if he has a good excuse to stay a little longer, he'll take it. "Alright. Mind if I ask what we're waiting  _for_ , though? Just so I can be in on the secret," he smirks, and his heart flutters a little when Magnus laughs a small, breathy laugh, before moving his arm and gesturing toward the box he was leaning against.

 

"I thought we might take advantage of the opportunity this photo booth provides us with?" he answers, but it sounds like a question, like he's unsure if Alec would be at all interested. Alec gets why, honestly - he's never been big on taking pictures. It's not that he doesn't see the value in them, but photographs have always been such an  _ordeal_ with his family. Perfectly unwrinkled clothes, standing with a rigid posture. Smiling, but not too wide. It's exhausting, trying to mold himself into whatever someone else wants him to be for a photo.

 

But it's never like that, with Magnus. There's no posing, there's no readjusting of their clothes. It's all very real, and Alec finds that when it's like that, he doesn't mind at all.

 

Besides. Anyone who says it's easy to deny Magnus Bane anything has clearly never spent more than five minutes with him. (Jace and Izzy will sometimes tease Alec about how he's "whipped" but he's honestly not, it's just. He's _Magnus_.)

 

"Sure, I've never been in one. Sounds fun," he adds. Magnus' grin grows ever wider, and honestly? Alec would suffer a thousand family photo shoots if it meant he got to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. How'd he get so lucky?

 

They both set their bags down, and Alec isn't sure exactly what spell it is, but Magnus waves his hands over them in a swift, fluid motion. "No one will take them," he assures Alec. He climbs in first, once a gaggle of teenage girls leaves and, quickly, before Alec knows what's happening, takes off one of his bracelets and extends the hand holding it in Alec's direction. "Here, take this."

 

Alec furrows his eyebrows in confusion, but complies nonetheless, wrapping it around his wrist. It's kind of nice, actually. He likes the feeling of it against his skin. Smooth and cool. "Why?" 

 

Magnus shrugs innocently. "Well, in photo booths, people traditionally wear something that they don't usually, like a hat or sunglasses. But this one doesn't appear to provide anything, so I thought I'd give you something to spice up your ensemble."

 

At this, Alec laughs. "Are you calling my clothes boring?"

 

"Oh, never. What could possibly be boring about a completely monochromatic wardrobe?" Magnus rolls his eyes, but before Alec can make an argument in defense of himself, his boyfriend is pointing at the screen that's showing them what they look like and Alec can see it's counting down.

 

They must take five or six pictures, sometimes making silly faces, other times just leaning against each other, doing whatever comes to mind in the moment. They hug a couple of times, and Alec finds that, though he's never been a fan of small, enclosed spaces, this is nice. It's like their own little intimate corner of the world. Where they don't have to be anyone but themselves. Not at all like the family portrait experiences from his childhood. 

 

Eventually, the camera stops flashing and they're forced to get out. Magnus retrieves the photostrip from the slot on the outside of the machine, presenting it to Alec between his forefinger and his thumb, smiling lightly. Alec smiles back; they look happy.

 

"That was fun," is all he can think to say.

 

"Indeed it was. It is getting rather dark. Shall I portal us back to the loft?" 

 

Even though before their photo booth detour, Alec was the one saying they should head home, now, he doesn't want to leave. Not when Magnus looks so joyful and he feels so... unburdened. Free. So, instead of coming up with a really good excuse to prolong their adventure, he blurts out the first thing he can think of.

 

"I, well, maybe we could? Get something to eat. I mean, I know we ate a couple of hours ago, but I just thought, you know maybe," Alec tries, but the words aren't coming out quite right. He breathes. "Sushi?" he tries, and that makes Magnus laugh, but it's not a mean laugh. It sounds soft. Affectionate.

 

"That sounds nice," he tells Alec, something Alec can't name shining in his eyes. "I could go for some fatty tuna."

 

Oh, Alec cannot  _possibly_ be blamed for laughing at that.

 

"What? Alexander, you're ruining our sweet moment," Magnus frowns, but there's no real upset behind it. He looks bemused.

 

"Sorry, I just. Why would they call it that? Fatty tuna, I mean," Alec wheezes out and Magnus shrugs, a sort of, " _how the hell am I supposed to know?"_ kind of a gesture.

 

But Magnus is wrong. Nothing is ruined. Alec knows, because, despite the imminent threat in the Shadow World, right now, everything feels soft and light and good. And he's sure that nothing can take away that feeling that they had while they were in the booth. Easy belonging. Comfort.

 

 _Home_ , Alec thinks as they eat. Being with Magnus feels like coming home.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I like to imagine that the fatty tuna discourse we saw at the beginning of 2.07 was ongoing.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and you can also feel free to come shout at me on tumblr @archersarchetypes.
> 
> Also, I changed my url on here to "usersarahbeth" because it doesn't really make sense to keep changing it every time I decide I want to change my tumblr url. Thanks! <3


End file.
